US President Joe Biden will host South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for a state visit on April 26, the White House announced on Tuesday, as the countries step up cooperation on the threat from North Korea.
The United States and South Korea have increased the number of joint exercises in the face of growing threats from nuclear-armed Pyongyang, which has conducted a wave of banned weapons tests in recent months.
The prestigious state visit – only the second of Biden’s time in office – “will highlight the importance and strength of the ironclad … alliance” between the countries, the White House said.
The visit, which includes a state dinner at the presidential palace in Washington, commemorates the 70th anniversary of bilateral relations, which the White House says is “critical to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity for our two countries, the Indo-Pacific, and the surrounding world. .”
North Korea has said its nuclear weapons and missile programs are for self-defense and has criticized US-South Korean military exercises, describing them as training for an invasion.
It warned earlier on Tuesday that it would be an “unequivocal declaration of war” if the missile was fired upon launch over the Pacific Ocean.
Later this month, the US and South Korean militaries will hold their largest joint exercise in five years.
Ahead of the drills, scheduled to last at least 10 days from March 13, the allies are conducting aerial exercises featuring nuclear-capable US B-52 heavy bombers.
North Korea’s foreign ministry accused the United States of “deliberately” escalating tensions.